Laya Melrosen's Adventure
by LayaMelrosen
Summary: Laya Melrosen is an eleven year old girl who has discovered something quite life-changing. She takes on this new adventure with her two best friends, Skye and Brad.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello! This is a fanfiction that I have been working on for years, but have decided just this year to go back into it and rewrite it a bit. I really do hope you enjoy it! It is based off of the Harry Potter series, and all of Jo Rowling's work is her's and her's alone. Anything mentioned that is related to her content belongs to her and I do not take credit for it. Anything else is 100% my work and no one else's. Thank you for taking the time to read it!

I was running as fast as my clunky feet could take me. My mum had always said I had big feet for such a little girl, but I loved them. When boys would tease me on the playground, it made it easier to stomp on their foot and get away with it as it just being an accident.

Over the bushes, under the low trees, and right across the lawn; I raced and raced until my vision started to blur with beads of sweat. I couldn't wait to share the great news with my best friends! I recapped what my mum had said to me just a few minutes before:

_"__Laya, dear, would you please come into the kitchen?" called mum, while I was watching a movie with my cousins in the next room._

_"__Sure, Mum," I called back. _

_We paused the movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and I hurried into the kitchen to find myself surrounded by my family. There was silence for some time until my dad spoke me and my brother, Joseph._

_"__Kids, we wanted to tell you something important that will be happening, effective immediately. As long as you guys think it's alright," he added with a smile._

_"__What is it, Dad?" moaned Joseph, with an agitated tone. "I was busy playing with the worms in the backyard."_

_"__Well, we were thinking about… moving up here, just down the street from your little friend, Skye," said mum, with her twinkling blue eyes watching us excitedly._

_"__Oh my god, really?! I can't wait to tell Skye!" I exclaimed, jumping up and down._

_"__Really and truly?" he wondered, his eyes brightening._

_"__Yes dear, of course!" my mum responded. "So do you both agree on moving up here? Because we will start the moving process immediately."_

_"__Yes, yes, yes!" we cried in unison._

_"__Good then, it's settled. We'll head back to Silvermill tonight and start packing," mum smiled excitedly. "As soon as you tell your little friends about it, of course."_

That is when I had taken off to Skye's house to tell her. According to my mum, my dad had gotten a better job offer here in Aldrose. In the city we were about to move out of, he was a superintendent at the building we lived in. A man by the name of Mr. Harshop was offering him a position as a farmer here in town, which is what my dad has always dreamed to be. So once we moved, he would start immediately at Mr. Harshop's farm.

A few minutes later, I had finally reached Skye's house and yelled up at her window.

"Skye! Skye!" I shrieked. A little red head popped out of the window upstairs.

"What?!" she hollered back, obviously annoyed.

"If Brad is over get down here now! I've got awesome news!" I grinned up at her.

"Alright, alright. Keep your hairnet on."

I paced the pavement in front of her front door and pondered what their reaction was going to be. Brad and Skye had been my best friends for years, but I only got to see them occasionally when my family would visit my Aunt in Aldrose. I didn't have a lot of friends in Silvermill, so whenever we got the chance to visit I made sure to spend as much time as possible with them. So when they emerged from Skye's house, I practically jumped onto both of them in excitement.

"I'm moving just down the street from you, into that big old house!" I squealed with delight.

Skye and Brad both gasped at the same time.

"No freakin' way!" Brad exclaimed, wrapping his lanky arms around my shoulders. "Now we all get to hang out all the time! How come you're moving?"

And I retold everything that had just happened for the second time that day.

"Laya! Come help with the rest of the boxes!" called my dad from the moving truck.

"Coming Daddy!" I replied as I hurried over to the back of the truck.

I tried to help as much as I could, by bringing in lighter boxes and some pillows, but most of the work was done by my older cousins Jeff, Jonathon, and Jason. A few hours later, with a few short breaks and some delicious homemade lemonade from my aunt, and they were done unloading everything.

The old house on the end of the street, near the bridge, was now rightfully ours! It was fairly large, with four floors including the basement and attic. I later learned that the term for the design of our house was "Victorian", meaning it looked old with a lot of pretty white trimmings to contrast the dark grey paint that was sort of chipping. It also had a ton of windows circling the entire house.

It stood awkwardly among a row of equally as awkward houses; two one-story houses, a three-story house that was painted canary yellow, a house that looked like a miniature castle, two with balconies that rimmed the entire second floor (one of which belonged to Skye's family), and a house that looked as if it were built mostly underground.

The interior of the house was quite incredible. Most of the walls were covered in wallpaper, but it wasn't that ugly wallpaper that you see in someone's grandmother's house, it was a nice light blue colour with white trimmings and intricate designs. Right now it was full of boxes and awkward furniture, but after another hour of rearranging, my parents had managed to unpack and organize the living room and kitchen in the way that they wanted. As they were doing that, Joseph and I were in our rooms unpacking our own belongings.

I was in love with my bedroom because it was painted the most beautiful light purple I had ever seen. My cousin Jeff had helped me set up my wooden poster bed and hang the white canopy from the ceiling that draped around it. After he had left, I was set to the task of putting all of my clothing away and organizing my freshly-painted white bookshelf. The shelves were jam packed with more than just books. I had a few stuffed animals, a soccer ball, a few knickknacks that my Nana had given me, and a couple family picture frames.

I adorned the walls with a few of my favourite things: a signed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban poster, signed by J.K. Rowling herself; a Sailor Moon poster; an England flag; and a couple of pictures of Brad, Skye and I. I also made sure to hang up my mirror and the chalkboard that I had gotten for Christmas last year.

Once I had finished putting away everything, I ran downstairs and into the kitchen to find my mum making dinner.

"Hello sweets," she smiled lovingly. "I'm making your favourite, cheeseburger pasta!"

"Awesome! Is it okay if I go and get Skye and Brad after dinner? I want to show them my new room!"

"Maybe tomorrow, dear. I want to have a few days, at least, for just us in this house," mum laughed.

"Your mother is right, Laya," began my father as he sat down at our kitchen table. "We need to enjoy this new place before we invite new people into it."

"Okay," I sighed, sitting down beside him.

"How about we go set up our little library in the attic instead?" Mum asked, setting out plates.

I agreed excitedly and rushed through my dinner so that we could get started as soon as possible. The attic was a circular shape, with a door to one side leading off to another smaller room for storage. There were only two small windows high up, so we had to bring up two tall lamps in order to have some good lighting. When mum and I went upstairs we found the bookshelves already set up with boxes of books stacked in the middle. There were five separate bookshelves, about six shelves high. There were all side by side, following the circular shape of the room, with a Persian rug laid out in the middle for us to sit on. There was also a beanbag chair, which is what I sat on to sort through boxes. We sat there for about an hour in comfortable silence.

"Mum, the _Septimus Heap_ books by Angie Sage go near the Harry Potter books, right? Because it's kind of the same storyline and has wizards and witches and things like that," I asked, while picking up a big set of about four books.

"Actually," replied mum from her cross-legged position on the floor. "That should stay out because the next book is coming out this weekend and we'll need to be able to find it."

"Oh alright," I mumbled as I stacked the books on top of the big cedar chest in the middle of the room. "Mum, I think we're about done and I'm getting kind of sleepy. Can I go get a snack and then go to bed?"

"Yes, of course dear," she sighed. "I'll just finish up the rest on my own. Goodnight," she finished as I leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek and give her a big hug.

"Thanks for helping me, G-G-Goodnight," I yawned as I half-stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen, only to find my brother still awake. "Joey, you should be in bed. It's ten o'clock at night!"

"There's a spider in my room and Dad is getting rid of it," he mumbled from his large, awkward hands covering a beet red face. "And don't you dare say a thing to those friends of yours or I'll hide worms in your cereal," he added with a glare as he brushed passed me to head upstairs.

"Whatever," I laughed after his heavy footsteps on the stairs. I got myself a little snack of vegetables and dip then headed off to my own room.

After finishing up my snack and reading a poem or two out of the Edgar Allan Poe book my Nana had bought, I changed into my pajama's and climbed into a nice warm bed and fell asleep instantly.

Over the next few days while my family cleaned things up and organized their possessions in the places they wanted, I decided to explore the house and my first stop was the attic. I was excited that we had so much space in this house, compared to the tiny apartment we used to live in.

So I spent the good deal of about three hours wandering through the second room of the attic and looking through all the boxes my parents had stored in there. As I was leaning on one of the bookcases in the main attic room, the bookcase moved just a touch. I jumped and turned around to look at what happened and gasped.

There was a little door, about three feet tall, just behind the bookcase. How did no one notice this while putting the bookshelves up? I bent down to slide it open and peered inside to find it pitch black. I waved a hand through the darkness, but I ended up just freaking myself out. I ran into the storage room and found a flashlight.

I couldn't see much, the light wasn't very bright. It looked like a tunnel of some sort. I sat there for a moment, my eleven-year-old imagination running through all the crazy and awesome things that I could find in there. Eventually, child's curiosity took over and I crawled into it on my hands and knees, a big smile on my face.

I had only gotten two crawls through when I heard my mum call. I groaned loudly and crawled backed out of the tunnel. I gently nudged the bookshelf back into place and made sure to leave the flashlight on one of the shelves so I knew which bookcase it was behind. I wandered back downstairs to help mum clean, but was excused later when my Aunt Sue arrived to check out the house.

I walked down to the basement to see if I could find any other secret doorways or passages. However to no avail, as there were just dusty corners and a creepy cellar for more storage. I abandoned my quest and skipped into the kitchen for some lunch.

Three long days after we had moved in, mum finally allowed me to bring over my friends. She said we were pretty much settled, minus a few boxes here and there, and since my aunt's "approval" had been given to the cleanliness (mum rolled her eyes at this), we could now have guests over. Before she even finished her sentence, I had dashed out the door and down the street to Skye's house.

"Skye?" I called up to the window.

"In the back!" I heard distantly. I raced around the house to find Skye, Brad and Skye's sister, Summer, playing in the pool. I hurried up on to the dock just as they climbed out of the water.

"Do you guys want to come over? We're done unpacking and everything," I smiled brightly. "Summer can come too if she wants. She can play with Joseph."

"No thanks, yuck," replied Summer. "He's an ugly _boy_," she added with a disgusted face and ran back into the house giggling as Brad gave her a disbelieving look.

"We'll just dry off, change and head over," sighed Skye, shaking her head at her sister's immaturity. "You can come inside."

Ten minutes later we were walking over to my house ready to look around the "big old house at the end of Highpine Street" which was now the "Melrosen residence". Some of the local teenagers had tried to scare us off the first day we had gotten here, telling us the house was haunted and that we'd be tormented, but my mum told them to scurry off.

"I can't wait to see your room. From what you say it sounds awesome," murmured Skye, all dreamy-eyed.

"I'm really excited to show you guys the library! I found something super awesome!" I exclaimed as we hurried all the way up the stairs.

"Wow, this is like a personal library. You have so many books!" exclaimed Skye, and Brad hurried over to examine the 'Fantasy' section that mum had labeled.

"This place is truly amazing, Laya," Brad marveled, looking around at all the books. "I'll be here almost every day to read. You know you could charge kids just to take out bo-" he stopped as he saw the look on my face.

"None, I repeat, none of these books will leave this library unless I give permission or, of course, it's you guys," I smiled at the two of them and they all burst out into giggles.

"You reminded me of that scary librarian, Madam What's-her-face, from Harry Potter," Skye smirked.

"Yes well, I was hoping to get that reaction. Okay now back to business. I've found this really cool tunnel behind one of the bookcases. Hmm, now where was it?"

I found the flashlight that I had placed on a shelf, and asked Brad to help me nudge the bookcase over carefully. It moved to show the small door and I grinned really largely.

"Cool, where does it go?" asked Brad kneeling down to have a look.

"I haven't been able to go through, I always go far enough, and then it stops. So I used it as a small hiding place for things which I love dearly," I replied, as I opened the little door to reveal small knickknacks and things.

"Wicked!" Skye and Brad sang together, as I closed it back up smiling.

"Let's get back to our search," I said, nudging the bookcase back over the door.

After about twenty minutes of exploring, Skye had found something in the far right corner of the storage room. Brad and I walked over and kneeled down to examine her findings.

It was a small little door, the same height as the other one I had discovered. When Skye slid it open, it revealed a big long box about the size of my leg, and we all pulled it out onto the floor between us. I first read the note that was taped across the top.

_"__To whoever may find this, you have made a great discovery. You will have plenty of adventures in this great old house and find other great objects and surprise holes! But first, the items contained in this box shall help you a great deal. Have fun, my dear. Good luck."_

When Brad pushed it open, we couldn't believe our eyes. There was a small candle, which was pretty much all melted down, with matches and another set of candles in one end. Beside that was a long box, around twelve inches. I pulled it out and opened it to find something pretty incredible.

"It's a wand! Just like the ones they have in Harry Potter!" I exclaimed in a loud whisper, pulling it out of its box and showing it to the others.

"Laya, look at the bottom of the box! There's some writing," exclaimed Brad. "This box contains a wand that may seem fake to the Muggle eye, but actually it is real. Go ahead, try it out. Do some simple spell that you may know from one of those Harry Potter books which have become so famous in your world."

"Oh my god, it's a _real_ wand! Let me see it again," I said, wide-eyed.

"Oh I doubt it!" Skye laughed. "A Harry Potter fan probably lived here before you."

"Nonsense," I scoffed, snatching the wand from her hand. "Wingardium Leviosa!" I said strongly, pointing it to the candle in the box. To our surprise, it actually levitated! Just like in the book.

"No freaking way!" whispered Brad furiously.

"Look there's more wand boxes in there," Skye pointed as Brad pulled out two more boxes for both of them. They each tried the same spell and it also worked.

"Look, there's a map as well," Skye whispered.

She pulled out this obviously very old piece of paper and unfolded it. _Oh my god_, I thought, _no way_! It was a map almost exactly like the Marauders Map from the Harry Potter books except instead of a map of Hogwarts, it was a map of my house and a little of the surrounding area.

"I can't believe it! You know, we should try going through the tunnel, there could be more interesting things in there," Skye exclaimed as Brad examined the hole with the flashlight.

"Uh, I don't know guys, don't you think this is a little weird?" He grimaced, staring into the seemingly empty black tunnel. "I mean, there's a box with wands in it and they work? It just doesn't feel right."

"Don't be silly, Brad!" Skye laughed. "You're just scared."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am-"

In the midst of their silly argument, the flashlight died. That got their attention

"Do you guys know the 'Lumos' spell?" I asked, motioning to the wand. "It's really easy, watch. Lumos!"

My wand lit up a little, almost like it was lit on fire. Brad, still skeptical, tried it out and it worked. He mumbled something unintelligent as Skye lit up her own wand as well. I smiled at both of them and gave Brad an encouraging nudge.

I crawled into the whole, with Brad following after and Skye trailing in last. We travelled for quite a bit; it had felt like an hour, and we were getting tired and hungry. Brad had complained multiple times that we should just go back, but Skye and I were much too excited. Finally I heard some talking coming from a door a few feet away with a little light seeping through the bottom.

"You can turn off your lights now." I said, but when they looked confused I added, "just say 'Nox'."

We crawled towards the little door and I pushed it open carefully. Once we were all out and kneeling on a hardwood floor, we stood up and brushed ourselves off quickly. We slid the wands into our sleeve to hide them, like we had seen in the Harry Potter movies. We looked up and gasped in unison. We were standing in what seemed to be the Leaky Cauldron, right out of the Harry Potter movies!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is the second chapter!

"No way!" I whispered to the others as we walked out into the open. "It's the Leaky Cauldron. Look, there's Tom behind the bar and oh wow, there's Hagrid! Let's go ask him to help us."

Brad was terrified, but he followed us anyway. We maneuvered carefully through the crowd of people in the Leaky Cauldron. I scanned the faces for more familiar ones but none stood out to me. When we reached Hagrid, I stared at him in wonder. It was so strange that he was so similar to the book. He was incredibly large, with the same shaggy brown hair and beard, with the same scruffy appearance. He loomed over the bar, sipping on some drink.

"Mr. Hagrid, sir. I was wondering if you could help us?" Skye asked with a nervous smile.

'"Maybe, what do yeh need 'elp with?" he asked back, turning away from the bar and looking down. "Why, yer just youngin's, you are. Come outside, yeh shouldn't be in 'ere. Not safe, yeh know."

He got up and left some silver coins on the bar. He motioned for us to follow him, and we did quite closely, obviously nervous at the warning. A lot of the inhabitants of the Leaky Cauldron were staring at us, a few of them almost hungrily. A woman reached out to touch Brad's shoulder and I swear he jumped three feet into the air. He scurried right behind Hagrid, almost touching his heels.

"What is it yeh need, then?" he asked once we were outside in the bright sun.

"Well, y-you see sir-" I squinted, looking up at him.

"Don't go callin' me sir now. Hagrid 's just fine."

"Well, si- Hagrid, we're Muggles I think, but obviously there's been something wrong because we've ended up with wands and w-we didn't know we were magical, si- Hagrid."

"Well, looks like we got some Muggleborns 'ere, don't we," he smiled kindly down at us. "That's quite alright, we'll just have to go pay ol' Dumbledore a visit."

"B-but, I thought Dumbledore, y-you know, passed a-away?" Skye stammered.

"Oh, I see yeh've been listening to tha Muggle story called 'Arry Potter?" They all nodded. "Well, listen 'ere, that stuff is all made up, see. None of tha' ever happened here. Harry Potter is still only eleven years ol', just like yerselves. His parents defeated You-Know-Who 'cause the Order of the Phoenix helped just in tha nick of time. Don't believe everythin' you read." He shook a giant finger at them.

"But, you see Hagrid, we _didn't_ believe in all this magic stuff until we crawled through the little tunnel in Laya's house and ended up in the Leaky Cauldron!" Brad cried.

"Ah, I see. Well let's just get along to Dumbledore's house and maybe he can explain all this better than I can." And he walked back into the Leaky Cauldron. We all looked at each other and hurried in after him.

"Instead of apparition, because I'm sure you can't do tha', we're gonna use the Floo," he said cheerfully.

"Oh, do we have to? Won't it get me dirty?" asked Skye.

Hagrid just laughed and walked up stairs while Skye pouted and followed us. The stairs were worn down and dipped a bit in the middle, and parts of the railing were broken so I made sure not to run my hand along it in case I got splinters. We followed Hagrid down a hallway and into a small room with a very small bed and an equally as small fireplace.

"Hagrid, how come we're not using the Floo that's downstairs?" I asked. "It's much larger than this one."

"'Cause it'll draw too much attention considerin' I know everyone down there. Plus, we can't speak Dumbledore's address aloud," he added.

"Oh, you mean the Fidelius Charm is placed on it?" asked Brad.

Hagrid stared at Brad for a second, a faint smile hidden behind his scruffy beard. "You lot sure know a bit about our world, don'cha? Yeah, o' course. It's Dumbledore's house, it's gotta be protected." He picked up a little brown bag with sparkly green powder and held it out to them. "Who's goin' first?"

"I will," I smiled nervously and dipped my hand into the bag.

With Hagrid encouraging me - 'Jus' a bit, there yeh go…' - I took a small handful out and walked into the fireplace with a grimace on my face.

"Jus' say 'Dumbledore's House' nice and clear, see, and it'll know where t' go," Hagrid assured.

I tucked in my elbows and closed my eyes, trying to prep myself for whatever was going to happen. I pronounced loud and clear, 'Dumbledore's House', and dropped the powder, then felt a weird spinning sensation. _Just like in the book_, I thought. Within twenty seconds, my feet hit solid ground, followed by my hands and knees smashing after them. Soot whirled up and I started wheezing loudly.

I started at a loud and strong voice, "Who goes there?" and picked myself up quickly.

'S-Sorry sir, for intruding. B-but my name is Laya Melrosen and Hagrid has se-sent m-me," I stumbled, brushing myself off.

Then all the dust cleared and I could see the famous figure of Albus Dumbledore. My eyes widened. He looked so similar to the Dumbledore that the books described. His eyes twinkled, his beard was just as white, and his smile was just as warm.

"He's sent all of you, has he?" he mused.

I turned around to find Skye and Brad on their hands and knees, coughing and sputtering. I helped them both up and they started brushing soot out of their hair and clothing. I turned back to Professor Dumbledore with a sheepish smile.

"Yes, P-Professor Dumbledore, sir. He's sent all three of us. I'm sure he'll be along-" I started, just as we all heard a loud pop, making us jump.

"Why Hagrid, I see you've found yourself some friends?" he asked the big shaggy figure that had just appeared out of nowhere. _So that's apparition_, I thought to myself.

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore, sir. Yeh should 'ear their story! They came upta me in the Leaky Cauldron, they did. Asked me if I could 'elp 'em and I thought maybe you could 'elp 'em more than I can."

He then told Albus Dumbledore our story. After he had heard it all, Dumbledore was silent for some time. A few minutes passed and he finally spoke.

"Well, obviously we _do_ have some Muggleborns here and they will need to go to Hogwarts, but first I ought to go have a chat with all of their parents so they know what's going on. I'm sure they're quite worried, you know. Could you give me your full names?"

"Laya Lou Melrosen."

"Skye Marie Fitzgerald."

"B-Bradley Smith."

"Alright, now we shall go to your homes. Do you think there is a safe place to apparate anywhere in your neighbourhood?" he asked, getting up from his chair and walking around his desk.

"You could probably apparate right into my attic, sir. But there are plenty of bookshelves and books everywhere so just be careful where you land," I smiled.

'You three children hold on tight to each other and each of you grab my arms," he instructed, holding out both of his arms.

"Are you sure, Professor Dumbledore, sir? When Harry described what it felt like in the fifth Harry Potter book it sounded like it hurts," mumbled Brad.

"Oh, it might twinge a bit, Mr. Smith, but I assure you it won't hurt." We scrambled around him and said goodbye to Hagrid. Within a second we had poofed out of the room, leaving Hagrid with a satisfied smile on his face.

"OUCH! Brad, that is my foot!" squealed Skye.

"Sorry! Why is it so dark in here?!" groaned Brad.

"Have you forgotten you're a wizard already, Mr. Smith?" Dumbledore chuckled, shaking his head at the Skye hopping, Brad cringing, and me giggling.

I moved to the spot beside the door where the switch was and flicked it on. Everyone's faces were lit up and Brad was still cringing because of the smack on his arm Skye had given him after he had landed on her foot. Dumbledore smiled at her, and walked briskly to the stairs.

"Wait! Professor Dumbledore, sir, I think I should go down and make sure my aunt isn't there. If she finds out it'll be all over town in seconds," I smiled apologetically.

"Very reasonable, Ms. Melrosen," he replied holding the door open for me as I rushed down the stairs.

As I ventured downstairs, all of what had just happened hit me. I was a witch! My eyes widened, and I took the last few steps in a big leap. Whipping around the corner, I found my parents in the living room watching the news.

"Mum? Dad? Can I talk to you for a second?" I asked timidly.

"Yeah, sure dear," mum replied, muting the television. "What's up?"

"Okay, I know this will sound pretty unbelievable, but you should know right now that I do have proof of it and I will show you if it comes to it. I need your complete attention, Dad," she added as her father looked back at the television set. His head snapped back and he smiled.

"Sorry, sweetie," he laughed.

"Well, you see… I'm a witch," I started.

My parents looked at each other and burst out laughing. I grimaced and glanced up the stairs to see the shadows of Dumbledore, Skye and Brad waiting. After they had calmed down and my face when from crimson to pink, mum spoke up while still giggling.

"Um, okay I know you may think you're a witch dear, but the thing is there's no such thing."

"Yes there is, Mum. You even said so yourself before. There are White Witches, you said that Nana knew one," I whined. "I have proof! I swear!"

"Alright, dear. What's your proof?" Dad abruptly stopped chuckling and spluttered, turning white.

"What's wrong?!" asked my mum frantically. He pointed towards the stairs.

"D-D-Dumbled-dore?!"

"Yes, that would be my name, sir," he said politely bowing to mum and shaking my daddy's hand. "I see that you have changed quite a lot since you were young, Lynna," he added, nodding to my mum.

"Y-you knew me when I was young?" she gaped.

"Yes, of course dear. And I knew your mother and her mother, your great grandmother and your great-great grandmother." That twinkle was back in his eyes.

"Really? That's so cool. You knew almost my whole generation!" I exclaimed as Skye and Brad slowly came down the stairs. My mother turned white again.

"Oh no! Please tell me you haven't heard the conversation we were just having?" she asked.

The three of us, and Dumbledore himself, chuckled as I filled my parents in on the experience of finding the pathway into the Leaky Cauldron and seeing Hagrid. I explained how Hagrid had brought us to Dumbledore and that he had insisted on coming here immediately. My parents faces stayed quite neutral throughout the story, considering what I was explaining.

"Well, you have had quite an adventure, Laya. I do hope we can get down to - how do you say it? - business?" mused Dumbledore.

"Yes, sir, that's right," chuckled Brad.

"Hm, alright then. Well as you may now see Mr. and Mrs. Melrosen, you're daughter and her two friends are quite magical. Laya and her friends will certainly attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He now turned to the three of us. "I have here three letters which will tell you all the information about Hogwarts and where to get your supplies. Have fun and don't forget the rules!"

"Yes, sir," we replied in unison, opening our letters as carefully as possible so as not to rip the front of the wonderful old parchment with emerald green writing. I ran over to sit between my parents so we could all read it. This is what it said:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Ms. Laya Melrosen,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins of September 1__st__. We await your owl by no later than July 31__st__._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

"What's a Mugwump?" mumbled Brad.

"Oh yes, of course you wouldn't know, my apologies. A Supreme Mugwump is the head of the International Confederations of Wizards. I think Muggles call it a politician?' he added.

"I guess you could say that," my dad laughed. "So this equipment and these books, how do we buy them?"

"Dad, you should've read the Harry Potter books. You have to go to Gringotts which is located in Diagon Alley. To get to Diagon Alley you have to go through the Leaky Cauldron which only wizards and witches can see. Once you get to Gringotts, you have to change the British money into Sickles, Knuts, and Galleons," I explained.

My dad's expression remained completely dumbfounded as all of us laughed.

"I couldn't have put it better myself, Ms. Melrosen," smiled Dumbledore. "I'm guessing this book of yours does not show you how to get to Diagon Alley from the Leaky Cauldron though, hm?"

"Well it does, actually," replied Brad sitting up straighter from his slouching position on the opposite couch. "Hagrid showed Harry in the first book. You have to do certain taps on the brick wall out back of the pub. If I watched my movie of the first book I could most likely get the combination correct."

"I see, but there is a much easier way," he replied. "Just take the Floo, of course. Yes it may make you a bit dirty and may give you the coughs but it is much quicker."

"But in the second book when Harry takes the Floo, he takes it to the wrong place because he pronounced it wrong. He ended up in Knockturn Alley," Skye shuddered at the thought.

"Hm, yes, pronunciation may be tricky but anyone whoever is scared of taking the Floo can stay behind and apparate with me," said Dumbledore, taking out a little bag. "But first we must visit the other houses of Mr. Smith and Miss. Edwards. Laya may stay if she wants or she can come. That is up to her parents," he added a smile.

"She can go if she wishes while we go get –" my mum stopped as there was a knock at the door. Then they heard a very familiar voice.

"Jenny! Tom? Where are you?" It was aunt Sue.

"Albus, you must go now. If she sees you things could get sticky. My sister has such a big mouth, you know. Sorry for kicking you out so quickly," she added in a low whisper.

"Oh it's quite alright. I'll just apparate upstairs to your attic with the children."

We hurried over to take his outstretched arms. A swift turn and we were gone again. We heard the faint voices of my parents and Aunt Sue from downstairs and quickly shut the attic door to drown them out.

"Sorry for this, Professor Dumbledore. My aunt is a big blabber mouth and the whole Muggle world would know about the magical world in seconds if she found out. Well at least after she woke up from her faint," I added with a whisper while the others laughed.

"That's fine, my dear. I think I should be off to Brad's and Skye's –" he started but stopped quite suddenly as the door opened. It was my parents. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought it was all three of you. Where has your sister gone, Mrs. Melrosen?"

"She left. She just needed to borrow a few eggs for something," she smiled.

"Perhaps she's baking a cake? Mmm," he mumbled, rubbing his stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here's the third chapter!

Diagon Alley was, well, an alley.

It was a long road with a ton of stores on each side of the street. To name some of the stores, there was an Apothecary for potion ingredients, a Cauldron shop for cauldrons of course, the Daily Prophet offices, Flourish & Blotts for books, and Madam Malkin's for robes of all sorts. But the ones which interested me the most were Ollivander's for wands, Eeylops Owl Emporium for all owls, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, and the most interesting one of all, Quality Quidditch Supplies.

I was so excited about the fact that all of this was real. Quidditch was actually a sport that I could play, adding to the list of all the other Muggle sports that I loved to play. I was desperate to hop on a broom and get started, eager to see if I was able to conquer what I was told is an incredibly difficult sport.

Firstly, we needed to visit Gringotts! As we wandered down the street, I couldn't help but have a little skip in my step. My dream was coming true! I was a witch and I was about to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I had met the famous Dumbledore and Hagrid! It was all my brain could handle, seeing the many other witch and wizards strolling down Diagon Alley.

My parents had dipped into the college savings they had for me in order to pay for all of the supplies I would need. Joseph was tagging along, although he looked quite bored and annoyed. When we had told him that I was a witch he just laughed and noted that he always thought I had been adopted. He was such a brat and was probably just jealous that I got to go to Hogwarts.

After meeting the terrifying Goblins of Gringotts and getting our wizarding world money, we travelled from shop to shop, crossing off items from the list in my letter to Hogwarts. We got my robes, my books, cauldrons, all of the school supplies that were necessary. My family decided to also get an owl, so that we could send letters to and from Hogwarts. We ended up with a white and gray barred owl, who had immediately taken a liking to Joseph.

"Can we call him Dude?" he asked, scratching the head of the pretty owl.

"Are you crazy? That sounds ridiculous. We should name him Bandit because of the gray across his eyes," I exclaimed.

"I could live with that, I guess."

Lastly, we went to Ollivander's to get him to check out this wand I had found. He was incredibly confused first off, but as I told him the story and gave him the letter from Dumbledore, he smiled knowingly.

"This wand right here is quite magnificent. An obviously very powerful wizard or witch has planted these in your attic. Do you think you could talk to the previous owners and see if it was them? Don't ask them full out if their wizards or something of the sort, because they could be Muggles, but write them a letter saying you'd like to have tea with them. Be careful to make sure that they are definitely wizards before you reveal your wand, my dear," he said, in a kind of quiet yet stern voice.

"Mr. O-Ollivander, sir. I was wondering if you could tell us what type of wand it is. As in the core and such?" My mum asked a little timidly.

"Well, dear, it seems that even Muggles find things out in ways even the greatest wizards can't. This wand is 11 ½" long, the type of wood is Maple and Walnut, and the core is a Demiguise Hair. The core makes your wand perfect for Transfiguration. I, of course, do not sell or make wands with that core but I don't think any wand maker I know does. I guess when you talk to the previous owners of your house you should find out where the wand has come from," he replied still examining the wand.

"Um, excuse me sir," I said. "I was wondering whether two kids have come here by the names of Brad and Skye?"

"Well, yes they have. You know them, do you? Well they did have the same exact wand except for the cores. Skye's was a Hippogriff Talon –" he started.

"Oh she would have loved that! Those are her favourite magical creatures!" I exclaimed as Mr. Ollivander smiled and continued.

"Yes, she said the same thing to me. Your friend Brad's wand had the core of Leprechaun Hair which is only useful for people with an Irish origin."

"Yeah, he's full Irish."

"And what, if I may ask, is your background dear?" he asked.

"I'm English and French," I replied, beaming with proud.

"Ah, yes, yes. Of course... I should have known," he said faintly as he walked to the back of his store and came back with a long thing box that looked like the one I had gotten her wand from. "Well, Ms. Melrosen, I am pleased to inform you that I have a wand for you if you'd like to try," he said as he opened the box and a wand with a leather handle was sitting in it. I picked up the wand while handing my mum other and held in the air in front of her.

"I feel a kind of tingling feeling. A bit tingly, actually," I replied and did the ``swish and flick" motion that I had read about in the books. I didn't have to say anything all of a sudden the box which was just holding the wand started to hover in front of my eyes.

"B-but, I thought that only one wand is fit for one person?" stammered my mum, as she watched the wand box fly around the room.

(A/N: Earlier on, In Skye's POV)

Skye's family was quite a big one and very close but ever since Dumbledore had come to her house and explained everything, they've drifted apart. Her younger and older sister refuse to talk to her because she can do magic and they can't.

Once they got there and were entering, she read the warning sign on the front doors. She remembered the quote from the Harry Potter books.

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Oh what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

She wondered what else would be guarding the vaults throughout Gringotts. Then she remembered the dragons and smiled. Her parents showed a goblin the letter that Dumbledore had given them. It told the goblins that Skye's parents were Muggles and didn't really understand the magical world yet. The main goblin which they were talking to snickered at their reactions to all the other goblins at their stations. Skye laughed with him and the goblin seemed a bit surprised at her reaction but continued on with changing their money into wizarding world money.

When they exited Gringotts, Skye's parents were practically mesmerized with the big gold and silver coins. They walked around and checked off everything they needed on the list. Lastly, they went into Ollivanders to ask about the wand. As they approached the old looking store where all wizards in England get their wands, a familiar friend walked out of the store with his father.

"Hi Brad!" she exclaimed while she walked towards him and his father, Bruce.

"Hey Skye! I just got my new wand because Ollivander said mine wasn't perfect for me but this one is!" he said as he held up his new wand proudly. "Guess what the core is?"

"Oh, Brad. Don't go getting all cocky now," laughed Bruce as he shook Skye's father's hand and kissed her mother on the cheek.

"Shush, Dad. It's a Leprechaun Hair," he beamed. "It's perfect for me because I'm Irish and Ollivander said it can get temperamental for people who aren't Irish."

"Wow, that's so cool. I hope mine is like that, but obviously not a Leprechaun Hair," she laughed. "I hope it has something to do with a magical creature as well. Maybe a Hippogriff."

When my parents and I got home from our trip to Diagon Alley, I went straight up to my room with all the things we had bought today so I could sort them into the wonderful trunk my parents had found in our storage. The first thing I thought I should pack was my robes on one side of the trunk with a few Muggle clothing as well, for lounging around at the castle. I decided not to pack my books yet because I wanted to read them all.

_Hopefully I can do it before the school year starts_, I thought to myself.

"Laya, dear! Wash up for dinner and come down," my mother called up the stairs just as I opened my book for Potions.

"Oh well, I'll just start later," I mumbled as I put the book on my side table and walked down the hall to the bathroom to wash up.

A few minutes later I was walking down the front hall towards my kitchen. The smell of spaghetti wafted towards me as I entered our kitchen, making me close my eyes and rise up on my tip toes. My mum's spaghetti was the best in the world, and I guess she made it because of the crazy week we've had.

"Laya, could you please set the table?" asked my mum, while stirring the pot of spaghetti sauce.

"Sure mum!"

As I was putting utensils beside the last plate, my brother walked in with my dad trailing behind him. He brushed past me roughly and sat down in my seat.

"Excuse me, Joseph, but that's _my_ seat," I said with my hands on my hips in my mother's famous pose and with her famous glare.

My dad chuckled at me and said, "Well, you should be scared now Joseph, she's turning out to be just like her moth- ouch!" He was cut off because my mother had hit him on the back of the head.

"Joseph, move."

"Fine," he snarled as he got up and moved to where I was standing to sit down.

"Don't use that tone of voice with your sister," my dad said lightheartedly as he sat down at the head of the table and I sat down on his left.

While my mum was finishing up with cooking, my dad and I talked about Hogwarts and how it'll be really awesome to finally see it in real life instead of just seeing the set in the movies. Then I asked a question which had been bothering me a lot these days.

"Mum, if the Harry Potter series was all fake then how come J.K Rowling could do the set for the movies and all that information that she supposedly made up?"

"Well dear, you don't know whether Hogwarts really looks like it does in the movies and if it does then maybe a lot of castles look alike? The latter is most likely true because it happens a lot in the Isles," she replied setting the pot of spaghetti in the centre of the table and taking a seat.

"Your mother is right, Laya. It might look the same or it might not. Guess you'll find out on the first of September," he said, as he dug into the pot and filled his plate.

"I don't think I can wait that long!" I mumbled between mouthfulls. "Maybe Joseph is a wizard too?" This made him sit up straighter.

"You think?" he asked, trying to hide his happiness.

"Well you could be, it's all a matter of time," I smiled. "We'll have to wait a year until you're eleven. Also, have you talked to the previous owners of the house yet, mum?"

"I'm going to give them a call tomorrow afternoon, dear," she murmured through a mouthful of spaghetti.

After we finished eating, my family went into the living room to watch some television while I went upstairs to start my reading. I never really watched TV unless soccer was on. Oh, and Saturday morning cartoons of course. I crawled into my bed, surrounded by the books and did a simple "eenie-meenie-minie-moe" to determine which one I should delve into first.

The next morning I woke up with the sun, at 6:34am. I had this weird feeling in my stomach that made me crawl out of bed. After I washed up, I walked downstairs to see if anyone else was up. Halfway down the stairs, I heard a bang from the kitchen. Narrowing my eyes, I tiptoed down the stairs as quietly as I could.

As I approached the open door of my kitchen, I suddenly thought to myself that I must be just freaking myself out. It's probably just my parents or brother. I smiled and shook myself, strolling into the kitchen. Boy, was I wrong. The minute I entered, I pointed my wand towards the shadowed figure sitting at my kitchen table.

"Who goes there?" I asked in the strongest voice I could muster. It turned out to be croaky and shaky.

The person at the table jumped up and held a stick out. _Another wand?_ I thought, confusion freezing me for a moment. I reached towards the light switch and the second I flicked it up I yelled 'Stupefy!'. A red light shot out from the tip of my wand and the other person in my kitchen dropped to the ground with a loud thud. I hurried over and stared down at the man.

"What's going on?" I heard from the door. Turning around, I saw my dad standing at the doorway with my mum right behind him. I pointed to the ground in front of me.

"Our previous owner has arrived, I think," I said and my parents hurried over to see the scared face of the intruder.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here's chapter 4!

"Rennervate," I mumbled.

The man jumped up and pointed his wand at me.

"Why did you hit me with a stunning spell? Better yet, how did you know the stunning spell and the reviving spell as well? Why do you have a wand?!" he demanded.

"Well, I'm a witch,' I replied. "And I hit you with the stunning spell because you scared me and I had no idea who you were. Better than throwing a knife at you or something, I think.'

"Oh," his wand lowered slowly and he sat down at the nearest chair. "But you do know you shouldn't do magic outside of school."

"Only if I'm in need, and I thought you were going to kill me or something."

"Fair enough." He shrugged, finally relaxing and putting his wand away.

"Would you please explain to us who the hell you are?!" my dad demanded, sitting down across from the man with his arms crossed. My mum sat as well, still quiet.

"Ah, yes. I should probably explain that," he smiled. "Like your daughter said, I am the previous owner of this house. My name is William Bellbush. I'm actually a professor at Hogwarts, I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"So… since we don't have to ask you if you're a wizard, do you know about all the wands and hiding places?" I ventured.

"Ah, yes I do. Dumbledore filled me in on everything that's happened. What an interesting way to find out you're a witch, hm? Basically, the only way anyone would find the hiding spots in this house is if they have magical blood in them. You're the first one in twenty years to have found it.

"My father put that chest there, and he only told me about it after they had moved out and I had gotten the house. It was used as a sort of safe house for members of the Order of the Phoenix during the Dark Times, which I've been told you know all about from those silly Harry Potter books. I had hunted around the house for all of these little hiding places and could only find two of them. I assume the third one, the one you found, was charmed for only a Muggleborn to find."

"That's strange, why would your father have charmed it that way?" It was the first time my mum had spoken since we had sat down.

"Well, the Dark Times were just that, dark. Muggleborns were being murdered and tormented for "stealing" magic. The Leaky Cauldron, which is where that tunnel led you, was another safe haven for the Order. The other two tunnels led to other safe havens. This house was used to put the Muggleborns into hiding."

"But what about the box? And the wands?" I questioned.

"Well, after the defeat of Voldemort, we moved out of this house and into one in the Wizarding world. It had originally just been the tunnels, but my father placed the box in there once we had moved out. He figured if another Muggleborn stumbled upon this place, the contents of the box would be of use to them. I guess it has done its job," he added with a smile.

"Now, I have a question for you. Do you think you could show me the other passage in your attic? The one Dumbledore said you used as a hiding place."

"Uh, oh yeah, of course," I blushed. I looked to my parents for approval and my mum nodded.

"Go ahead, daddy and I will get breakfast started." We quietly ascended the stairs to the attic.

"Wow, this is like an actual library," William mused as he walked around looking at my bookshelves. "So where are the hidey-holes?"

"Watch," was all I said as I shuffled past him and shimmied between two of the bookshelves. I pushed the bookcase lightly and stepped back to watch William's face again turn into complete surprise. At first he was silent, as if thinking about what to say, but he finally started talking.

"Have you gone through this one yet?"

"No, I haven't. I didn't think it went anywhere so I just used it as a hiding place." I said as he squatted next to me to have a look.

"Well, why not do it now?" He looked down and examined its size.

"After you," I smiled.

He got on his hands and knees with his wand out and started crawling through the whole in the wall. I followed him as soon as I couldn't see his feet. Lighting my wand, I followed him for what seemed like ages until he stopped abruptly and I almost hit my head on his butt.

"What is it?" I whispered, trying to look around his body to the opening in front of him.

"Hang on a second," he replied. It went semi dark and then he muttered "Alohomora" to the thing which I figure was a door and started crawling again. At first I didn't follow him but when I saw him slide his body out of the whole and stand up to brush himself off I hurried forward. As I was brushing myself off I heard a third voice which I did not recognize.

"Nice to see you, Mr. Bellbush and Ms. Melrosen."

Immediately I looked up and pointed my wand at whatever was speaking to find the face of Professor McGonagall looking down at me. I blushed and put my wand away, whispering "Nox" to put out the light. After we had fully explained ourselves and had a nice cup of tea offered by a house elf that looked strangely familiar, I gasped.

"Dobby!" I said with a huge smile.

"Sorry, but who is the miss?" he asked professor McGonagall while bowing to me at the same time.

"This is Laya Melrosen. You should surely remember her great-grandmother, Margaret Melrosen?' she replied.

He turned to me and immediately bowed, his nose almost touching the ground. As I told him he could stand up if he wanted to, he explained why he had bowed again, "You are a relative of Miss Margie so Dobby must show plenty of respect for when Miss Margie was alive and visited Headmaster Dumbledore she treated Dobby with respect no one had ever showed him before."

"Well, you should surely expect the same respect from me, Dobby, because I have been wanting to meet you for a long time," I smiled at the house elf and he bowed.

"Professor McGonagall, how did you know my great-grandmother?" I asked, sipping on the tea she had given me and trying not to grimace at the bitter taste.

"She was a witch of course, and a great friend of the members of the Order. I was much younger, but I do still remember her. She was such a sweet woman, it pained her to hide the truth from her family."

"The truth? What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm sure you know what a squib is, right?" I nodded. "Margaret was a squib. She was visiting Albus because he was helping her hide her secret."

"Wow, what happened?"

"Well, eventually her family found out and they banished her. So, she moved to France and married a Muggle man, Logan Aristole. But you two should be getting back. Your parents, Ms. Melrosen, will surely be wondering where you went off to." William and I nodded in agreement.

We returned to my attic by apparition instead of through the tunnel, closed up the tunnel and returned the bookshelf to its original spot. After a quick breakfast downstairs, William turned to me with a questioning smile.

"Where is the trunk that you found?" he asked.

"This way," I replied, and we hurried back upstairs to the attic.

I sat down cross legged and pushed open the slat where the trunk was. I pulled out the trunk and William sat down beside me to help open it. His eyes opened wide for the third or fourth time that morning and he reached out for the letter which was lying on top. I saw in his eyes a lot of emotion as he skimmed the letter and put it down beside him to look at the things inside. The first thing he took out was the map which I had forgotten inside the trunk and looked it over.

I waited until he finished examining everything in the small trunk, then started talking.

"You can take it with you. You know, to your new home. That's only if you want, of course," I murmured.

At first William just kept looking at the trunk, running his hand along the edge as if remembering something from his past. When I said his name a little louder, his head snapped towards me and he smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, it was like I was in a trance or something," he laughed. "Yes, I think I will take it please," William finished as he started to put things away. I was about to help him when I heard a rapping noise on the window and jumped up very startled. It was an owl.

"William, do you recognize that owl?" He seemed to have fallen into that trance again and I had to nudge him with my foot. "William!"

"What?!" he exclaimed looking up at me.

"Do you recognize that owl?" I repeated, pointing at the window. He turned around and saw it and smiled. He walked over to the window to let the little owl in.

"I'm guessing that's a yes," I muttered following him over.

It was a little tiny, brown owl. Once I had gotten closer, I noticed it was not alone. The other owl, a barn owl, was also carrying a letter attached to its foot. I reached my finger up and it hopped down onto it and held out its leg. William was already reading the other letter, trying to conceal a big grin. I took the letter off of the owl on my finger and opened the scroll up while the owl hopped onto my shoulder. Wincing a little, I read the letter. This is what it said in neat, delicate writing:

_Dear Ms. Melrosen,_

_You should be receiving this while William is there and he will also be receiving a letter which he should show you after you have read this one. Well, I am sure you see the white speckled owl that has arrived with your letter. This owl is now yours. (_My eyes brightened then) _She is named Specks but it is your wish to name her anything you want, since she is now yours._

_Your school year is beginning quite soon and it would help if you had a tour of Hogwarts before-hand. I know I do not usually do this with new students but because your great-grandmother was such a close friend of mine, I thought it could be a good exception. You may bring along Skye and Brad, but I would advise you to use the Muggle way of contacting them as I am sure their parents are not used to stray owls coming to their homes with letters._

_When you are ready, just contact me back with this owl and a letter saying 'Yes' or 'No'. Your parents and younger brother should surely come as well. Have a wonderful day, Laya, and don't forget to write back._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore,_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts_

"Wow! I get an owl _and_ a tour of Hogwarts." I said loudly, startling the owls a bit. William laughed at my reaction and summarized his letter for me.

"Mostly, it just says where to bring you this afternoon if you wish to come for the tour, which I am sure you are. You're familiar with the Floo, right?" he said, walking back over to the small trunk with his owl on his shoulder.

"Yep. I used it with Hagrid to get to Dumbledore's house on the day this all started," I replied, trying to snatch my owl out of the air. Finally I gave up and she came and landed on my shoulder.

"Well," said William, half laughing, "we'll just go inform your parents and you can call those friends of yours over. Oh, and you must write back to Dumbledore," he added, picking up the trunk and walking towards the stairs.

As we walked down the stairs, I started talking to my owl. It was a habit I picked up from my mother, talking to animals.

"So little owl, what should I call you?"

_Hoot, hoot, hoot._

"Well, how about… Alba?"

_Hoot!_

"That sounds like a yes," I finished and smiled proudly to myself. William looked at me and we both fell into a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny, you two?" I heard my mother ask from the living room. When we walked in, she looked at my shoulder, then William's, then mine again. "Why do you have owls on your shoulders?" William went first.

"This is my owl, Eragon, who just brought me a letter from Dumbledore," he said and held up the scroll of parchment.

"And this is my new owl, Alba, who brought me my letter from Dumbledore," I said, smiling largely. She still looked confused.

"Why did he send you both a letter?" she asked, reaching out to scratch Alba's head.

"He offered me a tour of Hogwarts. I'm supposed to bring my family, Skye, and Brad. As long as it's ok with you guys," I finished looking up to her with big, round eyes, begging silently. She thought it over for a minute and replied.

"Yes, I guess it's alr-" She was cut off by me giving her a big hug and Alba hooting happily.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed as I let go of her. "I'm going to call Skye and Brad and see if they can come too." I ran off towards the kitchen to use the phone and give my best friends the good news.

"They can't come," I said gloomily as I walked into the room. Immediately Alba, as if sensing I was upset, flew over and landed on my shoulder and stared pecking playfully at my ear. I laughed and told her to stop. She hooted happily, pleased with herself, and flew off to sit on top of the television set.

"Oh, that's alright. At least you can still go." That cheered me up a bit and also reminded me about something.

"I have to write back Professor Dumbledore with my reply!" I exclaimed.

"Here I have some parchment and a quill," William said, pulling it out of his bag and handing it to me.

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_I received your letter and the owl, thank you so much for both! I decided to name the owl Alba, she seems to like it. Also, I would love to have a tour of Hogwarts, but Skye and Brad can't make it._

_See you soon,_

_Laya Melrosen._

I picked up the parchment and read through it to make sure it sounded okay and rolled it up, tying it with a piece of string that William had handed me.

"Alba!" I called to the owl holding up my hand and she landed on my forearm, which hurt a bit because of her talons. I tied the parchment to her little foot and told her where to go. "Take this to Dumbledore, please." She pecked me affectionately on my finger and flew out my open window.

"So when can we go?!" I asked, rather impatiently. He laughed and pulled something out of his pocket which looked kind of like a galleon, and strangely familiar.

"This is charmed so when Dumbledore says a word or sentence, the letters on the side will change and it will heat up so I feel it." I knew exactly where I've seen it before. Dumbledore's Army! From the books! Of course, there was actually no such thing so I didn't say anything, just smiled.

"Laya," my mother spoke up as William sat back on the couch. "Why don't you go get changed?" I just noticed that I was _still _in my pajamas and ran up the stairs to get changed, my face burning scarlet.

A few hours later, the coin started to heat up and William smiled. This meant it was time to go, and I was getting more and more excited. Even Joseph seemed a little excited. We gathered in front of the fireplace in my living room, waiting for my mum to come back downstairs.

"Mum, hurry up, we have to go!" I called as I hurried into the living room to find William trying to show my dad how to use the Floo. He smiled and waited as my mother hurried in the room and over to us.

"Right then, I'll send Laya first as she knows what she's doing, and you three," he pointed to my parents and Joseph, "watch what she does and what she says."

I hurried to William's side and took a handful of Floo powder. I stepped into the fire and said confidently, while dropping the powder, 'Hogwarts!' The last thing I saw was my father's scared-to-death face and my mother waving. I tucked in my elbows and closed my eyes, then felt myself spinning. I stopped suddenly and felt like I was pushed out of the fireplace. I landed on all fours but hopped up quickly, indulged in a coughing fit. Once the dust and I had calmed down, I saw Dumbledore sitting at his desk with a smile on his face.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," I greeted, as I heard two light thuds behind me and turned to see my parents on all fours, coughing. I grinned and rushed to their sides, helping them both up and catching my father muttering, 'Never... ever... again,' through coughs. A few seconds later, Joseph landed, stumbling into my dad. I giggled and turned towards Professor Dumbledore.

They all brushed themselves and said hello to my new Headmaster. We then heard a pop and William appeared right behind me, almost falling into me.

"It's wonderful to see you all again, and to meet you Joseph," he smiled. "I hope the trip was alright."

"Is there another way to travel? Can't we just drive or something?" My dad mumbled.

"You could, yes, but where's the fun in that?" We all laughed. "Ready to go?"

My eyes widened and I grinned so large, I thought my teeth would fall out of my mouth and become one of those chattering teeth toys. He chuckled, and held open his office door for us as we wandered out into the hallway.

As I stepped into the hallway, I felt my jaw drop and my mouth gape open. It was better than I had even imagined! The ceilings were higher, the hallways were longer, and the paintings on the wall were smiling and winking at me. I was so engulfed in happiness and wonder and awe that Joseph had to nudge me to get my attention.

"Can we go now?" I urged.

Dumbledore laughed and started walking briskly down the hall. I hurried up and walked by his side. My eyes were whizzing back and forth, up and down, taking in all of my surroundings. I was so amazed I forgot to breathe until my dad nudged me with a smile. Catching his gaze, I shot him an amazed smile and returned my attention to the halls of Hogwarts. I stared longingly at the unnamed doors, not being able to control my excitement as we reached the staircases.

"Holy moly, they actually move just like in the movies!" Joseph gasped, looking as if he wanted to jump from stair to stair.

"Ah, I would be careful, Joseph. These stairs are not as forgiving as the ones that you know of," Dumbledore smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we had to place a cushioning charm in here to stop students from, ah, maiming themselves after missing a step." My dad looked green.

As we descended the stairs, my eyes would not stay on one spot for long. I greeted portraits and skipped over the invisible step that William had warned us about. I felt like I had already been attending Hogwarts for weeks because it was just so welcoming. There wasn't anybody around as school didn't start for another couple of weeks, but the castle still felt so lively.

Professor Dumbledore and William took turns explaining different floors and rooms to us as we passed them, and once we reached the Entrance Hall, I felt a little dizzy from all the twists and turns that the staircases took us on.

"So, what do you think, Laya?" Dumbledore asked, motioning us towards the Great Hall.

"It's amazing, sir! It needs to be September 1st tomorrow!" I grinned.

"It needs to be next year so I can turn eleven and see if I get to come here too," mumbled Joseph.

We peered into the Great Hall and it was incredibly similar to what I had seen in the movies. There were long tables that extended from one end of the room to the other, as well as one long table at the far end, elevated on some steps. We ventured out onto the grounds outside, but didn't go very far as it was very hot. I did get to see the incredible green grass and the expanse of the fields. I could see the edge of the Forbidden Forests lining the perimeter, as well as the Black Lake to one side and the Quidditch Pitch to the other. We then climbed back up the stairs to Dumbledore's office.

"Haven't they ever heard of an elevator in the wizarding world?" my dad groaned, falling into a chair.

"Well, unfortunately no electronics work in Hogwarts, Mr. Melrosen," laughed Dumbledore, taking a seat behind his desk. "That concludes your tour, ladies and gentlemen. I'm glad you stopped by."

After saying our good-byes, William sent us off in the Floo and I helped my mum clean the ash off of the carpet in front of our fireplace.

Later that day, during dinner, Joseph brought a question up that stumped all of us.

"How come you never showed any magic before you found that box?" he asked me, while wolfing down his French fries.

"Uh, I don't know," I frowned.

"That's actually a really good question, Joseph," my dad muttered, pushing his food around his plate with his fork.


End file.
